1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to support devices and more particularly to a support device having a set of pins that may be floated upward to engage an irregular bottom side of an object and then support that object.
2. Prior Art
Devices to engage and then support objects having varying configurations are well known and been in use for many years. Four such devices are described below.
A first support device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,985,901. This device is adapted for bonding soles to footwear. The device includes an I-shaped base having a series of aligned, vertically positioned cylinders. In each cylinder is a piston of a T-shaped bar that is pushed upward by a spring in a bottom of the cylinder. Upward movement of the cylinders is restrained by springs on bolts that are secured to respective ends of the bars and extend upward through openings in ends of a top flange of the base. For use, a bottom sole of a shoe is placed on the T-bars. The bars then are forced upward by oil pressure in the cylinders until the shoe sole engages an upper portion of the shoe. Because the sole has an irregular bottom surface, the distance that individual T-bars move depends on the distance between that T-bar and the point of contact with the shoe sole.
A variable contour securing system, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,088,312, is the second support device. This device includes a housing formed by joining a set of blocks. Each block has a bottom space that connect to form a vacuum chamber. A lower end of a vertical bore in each block then connects with the chamber. In each bore is a movable cylinder having a bottom end that seats on a spring in the chamber. On a top end of each cylinder is a suction cup that extends above the housing. Respective passageways in the cylinders link the cups to the vacuum chamber. For use, a vacuum source is activated so that the cups may fasten to a bottom side of an object. Where the object has an irregular shaped bottom side, the respective vertical positions of the cups vary. Once the cups are engaged, the location of the cylinders is secured by air activated locking plugs located in cavities in the housing.
The third device, set out in U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,707, is particularly adapted to support a face panel of a cathode ray tube and includes a box-shaped base. This base is divided into an upper and lower chamber by an intermediate partition. In a top wall of the base and the partition is a set of pairs of vertically aligned openings. Positioned in each opening pair is a sleeve formed with four radially spaced apart, vertical slits. These slits then are covered by a flexible tube fitting about the sleeve. In each sleeve is a pin having a bottom end located in the lower chamber and a top end that extends above the base top wall. For use, the lower chamber is pressurized forcing the pins upward to engage the face panel of a cathode ray tube. Once contact has been made, the base upper chamber is pressurized to force the flexible tubes into the sleeve slots and into contact with the pins. This contact produces a frictional interface that inhibits further pin movement.
The last example is holding apparatus set out in U.S. Pat. No. 5,984,293. This apparatus is particularly adapted to support printed circuit boards and comprises a base formed with a plurality of vertical chambers. In these chambers are respective springs, for example, to upwardly bias bottom foot portions of support pins carried in the chambers. Upper ends of the pins extend through respective aligned openings in a lock plate and a top plate. For use, a board is placed in contact with the pin upper ends so that the pin ends engage a bottom side of the board and electronic components on the board bottom side. The pins are selectively depressed depending on the particular point of engagement. Once the pins are in place, the locking plate is shifted horizontally so that sidewalls of the locking plate openings interact with the pins to secure pin location.